TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Right before her last day of teaching, Deirdre Deal and a group of her colleagues gathered inside Tarpon Springs High School.

Everyone in the room was not just a colleague, but they were all taught by Deal over the last four decades. Seventeen people, including the current principal, gathered together to wish Deal all the best before retirement.

“This is a shock,” said Deal with tears in her eyes. 

When she thinks about how she is surrounded by people she taught in class, she smiles. 

“At first I think it’s kind of strange for them, but it’s fantastic to know that Tarpon High is loved so much by the alumni that so many of us keep coming back,” said Deal. 

Deal’s first year of teaching at Tarpon Springs High School was in 1983. 

“Yeah, this is ‘79 here,” said a colleague, pointing to a yearbook. “This is the year that Dee (Deal) graduated.”

Just before graduation is when Deal decided she wanted to go into teaching. 

“I graduated from Tarpon, and this was where I was determined to come back to. I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” said Deal. 

She mostly taught accounting and business classes, but she picked up many extracurriculars too, like helping with cheerleading, student counsel and flag football. 

“First time I teared up was my last flag football game, then at graduation was really bad,” said Deal. “It’s hit. I didn’t think it would, but yeah, it is hitting now.”

She was given a rose from each of her former students/colleagues at the gathering. 

“She is the reason that I feel like I succeed the way that I did, and I don’t think I would be where I am without her,” said Fotini Sisois, a former student.

As for what is next?

“Well, I am not going to get up in August right away at 6 o’clock in the morning,” Deal said, laughing. “I haven’t really decided yet. I am going to do a little bit of traveling, just spend some time with family.”

She definitely has earned it!